A brief history of
The Center for Connected Learning
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StarLogo 1990Uri Wilensky and Mitch Resnick develop the first version of StarLogo, a precursor to NetLogo at MIT.
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CCL founded 1994The CCL is founded at Tufts University with Ken Reisman, Ed Hazzard, and Damon Centola.
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StarLogoT 1995StarLogoT is created.
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NetLogo 1.0 Released 1999Wilensky publishes the first version of NetLogo.
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HubNet Released 1999Wilensky and Walter Stroup develop HubNet, an architecture that allows multiple users to interact with the same model.
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The CCL moves to Northwestern 2000Wilensky and the CCL move to Northwestern University.
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Participatory Simulations 2000Participatory Simulations project is launched with the release of HubNet Web. This allows students to assume roles in simulations and explore the emergent results.
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CT-STEM 2001The CT-STEM Project is started. This project aims to support teachers in embedding computational thinking into STEM education.
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Abrahamson Arrives 2001Dor Abrahamson joins as the first doctoral student in the CCL and starts work with Embodied Mathematics.
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Tisue Arrives 2001Tisue joins the CCL as the first programmer hired to develop NetLogo.
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BehaviorSpace 2002Wilensky and Ben Shargel release BehaviorSpace, a software that allows users to run systematic experiments in NetLogo.
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Netlogo 2.0 2003Netlogo 2.0 is released.
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Sharona Levy Visits 2003Sharona Levy visits from the University of Haifa and works on Connected Chemistry, starting a long collaboration with the CCL.
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Micheal Novak Arrives 2003Micheal Novak joins at the CCL.
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NICO founded 2004The Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems is founded. Uri becomes part of its core faculty and serves on its Advisory Board.
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Agent 2004 Conference 2004Northwestern helps host the Agent 2004 Conference on Social Dynamics: Interaction, Reflexivity and Emergence in Chicago, IL.
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New Grad Students 2004Paulo Blickstein, Spiro Maroulis, and Reuven Lerner join the CCL as grad students, expanding the lab.
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NetLogo 3.0 2005NetLogo 3.0 is released in December. Key feature changes included 3D view, formatted Info tabs, and the System Dynamics Modeler.
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NetLogoLab 2005The NetLogoLab project is launched, with work done by Paulo Blickstein. This project provides systems that connect multi-agent-based models to physical manipulatives, in order to investigate the connection between computer simulations and the physical world.
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MaterialSim 2005The MaterialSim project is launched to provide students and researchers with powerful agent-based simulation tools for a variety of phenomena in Materials Science, such as grain growth and solidification.
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NetLogo 4.0 2007NetLogo 4.0 is released in September. Key feature changes included link agents, tick counter, RGB colors, and the ability to view update modes.
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Modeling Commons 2006The CCL releases the Modeling Commons, expanding engagement with the Netlogo community.
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Michelle Wilkerson Arrives 2006Michelle Wilkerson joins the CCL and starts the DeltaTick project.
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NetTango Launch 2011NetTango software is launched, providing a block-based interface in NetLogo that is accessible for novices and young children.
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Mike Horn Arrives 2011Mike Horn joins the CCL, eventually becoming co-director of the NetLogo Center and the CS-LS PhD program.
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NetLogo 5.0 2012NetLogo 5.0 is released in December. Key feature changes included open source, unicode support, and a new license for sample models and curricular models.
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Connor Bain Arrives 2013Connor Bain arrives at Northwestern, eventually becoming the first student in the CS LS PhD program.
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Textbook is published 2014Uri Wilensky and William Rand publish "An Introduction to Agent-Based Modeling.
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LevelSpace 2015LevelSpace is launched as a NetLogo extension, allowing for multiple NetLogo models to run concurrently and communicate with each other.
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NetLogo Web 2015NetLogo Web is launched as a version of NetLogo that runs in all modern browsers, without any need for installation. This product increases the accessibility of NetLogo, especially for educational settings.
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ISDDE Award 2016In September 2016, The International Society for Design and Development in Education (ISDDE) awards the prestigious 2016 ISDDE Prize for Excellence in Educational Design to Uri Wilensky for the design and development of Netlogo. Read more here.
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NetLogo 6.0 2016NetLogo 6.0 is released in December. Key feature changes included autocompletion support in the code editor, LevelSpace extension support, and the ability to "fold" procedures to make navigation easier.
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CTSI Launch 2018The first year of the Computational Thinking Summer Institute is held at Northwestern, providing three days of training on implementing computational thinking into STEM lesson plans for 9th-12th grade STEM teachers.
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Hillary Swanson Arrives 2018Hillary Swanson joins the CCL.
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CTSI Year 2 2019The Computational Thinking Summer Institute returns for its second year, expanding to a four-week program that supported nearly a dozen educators to integrate computational thinking into their classrooms.
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Inaugural CS LS Symposium 2019The Center for Computer Science and Learning Sciences hosts its Inaugural Symposium on Computer Science and Learning Sciences, engaging scientists in a range of dialogues about the opportunities, challenges, and innovative solutions to education and learning for STEM and computer science.
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CS LS PhD Program Launched 2019The Joint PhD Program in Computer Science and Learning Sciences is officially launched, co-founded by Uri Wilensky and Mike Horn.
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CTSI Year 3 2020The Computational Thinking Summer Institute returns for its third year.
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Arastoopour & Hall Arrive 2021Gol Arastoopour and Kevin Hall join the CCL.
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Turtle Universe Launch 2021John Chen and Uri Wilensky launch Turtle Universe, the mobile version of Netlogo, which brings computational modeling to smartphones and tablets of young students and educators.
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NICO Faculty Award 2022Uri Wilensky is named the inaugural recipient of the NICO Faculty Award, which recognizes his contributions to the study of complex systems. Read more here.
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NetLogo AR Launch 2023John Chen and Uri Wilensky launch NetLogo AR, spatial Augmented Reality (AR) authoring toolkit that combines room-scale AR technology with NetLogo.
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POSE Grant 2023The CCL recieves a POSE Grant from the National Science Foundation, providing the funding to expand NetLogo programming and the launch the official NetLogo Center.
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American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2024Uri Wilensky is one of six Northwestern faculty members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies. The Academy recognizes leaders across disciplines, professions, and perspectives. Read more here.
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NetLogo 7.0 2025NetLogo 7.0 is released in September. Key changes include a new modernized GUI, greater customizability, new model storage format with extension .nlogox, and a higher-performance version of NetLogo for modern macOS devices.
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CS LS Symposium 2025The Northwestern Center for Computer Science and Learning Sciences hosts a day-long symposium on AI in education, convening 160 educators, researchers, and industry professionals. Uri Wilensky participates in a forum on learning science perspectives on AI. Read more here.
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Yidan Prize 2025Uri Wilensky is awarded the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Research. The Yidan Prize, which is the largest prize in education, recognizes Wilensky for his groundbreaking work in agent-based modeling. Read more here.
This page was made by CCL Office Assistants Yaurie Hwang, Terra Workman, and Emily Zou
The Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling
Annenberg Hall Rm 225, 2120 Campus Drive, Evanston IL, 60208
Phone: 847-467-7593 | Fax: 847-491-8999| Email: ccl-website@ccl.northwestern.edu
Affiliated with: Learning Sciences Department,
Computer Science Department,
and The Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems